LaMotte, S. (2022, January 26). Water- and stain-resistant products contain
toxic plastics, study says here’s what to do. CNN. Retrieved August 28,
2022, from https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/26/health/
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Water resistant and stain proof products contain toxic chemicals called PFAS that also contribute to the health risk of liver and heart damage or cancer. PFAS were detected in a study on rain jackets, hiking pants, shirts, mattress pads, comforters, and tablecloths. They include special man-made chemicals called Perfluoroalkyl also known as PFAS. They found thousands of varieties of PFAS in the blood of 99% of the people in America. However they did not detect PFAS in stain or water resistant marked products. To get around this, industries created PFOA and PFOS which are equally as dangerous.
The danger of fibers laced with dangerous chemicals produced through the textile industry is brought to light in this article. Not only do these chemicals affect the environment but they could be affecting numerous organisms living in the environment. Chemicals weaved into the fibers of products to create a water resistant and stain proof experience for consumers are extremely dangerous. They cause liver and heart problems as well as cancer. I think this can somewhat be avoided by searching GreenScreen Certified products. But the chemicals referred to as “PFAS” may cause much harm to any animals or humans that come into contact with it. Most people haven’t done the research or even know about the issue and don’t know what to look for when looking through chemical ingredients. There may be the potential of even more harm because companies try to disguise this chemical by changing its molecule format slightly so it ends up having a separate name. When really there are many many different types of PFAS leading it to be extremely misleading.
How can we spread awareness about this issue? As companies continue to disguise and hide this issue, the more dangerous it becomes as people are ignorant of the harm the chemical can impose on them.
We can spread awareness by advocating for the use of equitable and green initiatives Additionally, encouraging people to change their shopping patterns, and decreasing consumption.
I think this is a really interesting topic because it shows that even things that are often overlooked as having an impact on the environment should be paid close attention to. Do you know if anything is being done on a larger scale, (other than people doing their research) to combat this issue?
Unfortunately, nothing much is being done on a larger scale that is super effective. The only things that are taking steps towards a more sustainable industry is producing green initiative clothing options, and promoting sustainable companies.